->''"New Orleans was the first city to offer indoor absinthe faucets, and indeed has always played a cosmopolitan and libertine ragtime beneath America's generally dull Sousa march of rural piety... a haven for vampires, video-poker enthusiasts, and sub-sea level drinkers of all ages."''--> -- '''John Hodgman''', ''Literature/TheAreasOfMyExpertise''

UsefulNotes/NewOrleans, Louisiana, as seen in the media. One of the most culturally distinct cities in America, it is unique due to its southern sensibilities, French roots, and ViceCity status, and writers go crazy over it.

To present an idea about how the city is usually portrayed, '''NFL Films''' on the Saints' 2009 Super Bowl Run is the most accurate depiction of the city. In other portrayals, the town is always surrounded by swamps and alligators. The swamps, of course, are always a mere two minute jog from the French Quarter (which tends to comprise the entire city): a convenient change of scenery for the protagonist chasing a bad guy. Said chase scene will inevitably run into a Mardi Gras parade, because ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans, usually accompanied by the [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w58XVr5YE8w Second Line march]] (a.k.a. That Mardi Gras song that everybody knows but hardly anybody can name). Somehow, the city's entire black population--which is always [[MonochromeCasting significantly smaller]] than in real life--is either a [[HollywoodVoodoo voodoo priest]] or related to one, and you can always expect a reference to the city's famous cooking, and I gerr-on-tee at least one local will have a Creole accent thicker than gumbo.

AnneRice of ''TheVampireChronicles'' fame later introduced (or at least popularized) the SouthernGothic version of New Orleans, in which the town is full of zombies, voodoo priestesses, ghosts, vampires, mausoleums, and creepy but elegantly gothic antebellum architecture. It has quickly become a standard trope about New Orleans by itself.

Most depictions of New Orleans depict the "Big Easy" as it existed before Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed it in 2005. For a few years afterwards, Katrina became a specter in any works based in the city, bringing its volatile weather and high crime rates to the forefront. Disney sought to bring the original Big Easy image back to popularity with ''ThePrincessAndTheFrog'', which incorporates ''all'' of the elements mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Useful Note: Locals don't call it "The Big Easy"; they just call it New Orleans. Which may or may not sound like "N'awlins" depending on who you're speaking to. Native New Orleanian pronunciation guide: Orleans has three syllables and no "R." Elsewhere in the south it varies. Important: New Orleans doesn't rhyme with "[[Film/BackToTheFuture ever]][[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_B_Goode greens]]." Another nickname is "The Crescent City".

There's also a ''film'' called ''Film/TheBigEasy'' which is, of course, a neo-noir thriller set during the eternal HeatWave that softens people up in New Orleans and motivates them to get out on the streets.----[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder: Anime]]* A [[ShownTheirWork stunningly accurate recreation]] of New Orleans shows up in ''Anime/AldnoahZero's'' Episode 1 when Count Selnakis's Landing Castle crashes into the city, and [[http://imgur.com/a/xSiuS again in Episode 18]] when the ''Deucalion'' leads a major operation to assassinate Selnakis and retake the city. As a matter of fact, the show's official website includes [[http://i.imgur.com/e8oJGeq.jpg a map]] of the battle that corresponds to the actual New Orleans in excruciating detail: you can actually tell where Inaho is in relation to the real life streets. This is more accurate than most American movies get.

[[/folder]]

[[folder: AudioPlay]]* ''AudioPlay/BelowBoard'' is set in New Orleans, albeit an AlternateHistory version of it, although it hasn't gotten to dealing with any stereotypes of the city yet.[[/folder]]

[[folder:ComicBooks]]

* For some, ComicBook/{{Gambit}} of the ComicBook/{{X-Men}} is nothing more than a collection of various stereotypes about thieves and Cajuns all rolled into one that has only recently been given any major CharacterDevelopment. He was raised by your run-of-the-mill Cajun thieves' guild after being kidnapped at birth, and their leader was advised by a black Catholic [[HollywoodVoodoo voodoo priestess]] type! He has a Cajun accent so hardcore that even the writers of the X-Men books can't help but parody it now and then! Every time Gambit has a few issues in New Orleans, he WILL have scenes in either the swamps and/or the French Quarter and some mention of gumbo or jambalaya WILL be made, I gerr-on-tee it.** One time he took the X-Men with him where they were seen enjoying Mardi Gras.** His first appearance was set during Mardi Gras, too.* A 2008 issue of ''JusticeSocietyOfAmerica'' featured the team helping local superhero Amazing Man rebuild in Katrina's wake.* Alley-Kat-Abra of Comicbook/CaptainCarrotAndHisAmazingZooCrew hails from its Earth-C counterpart, "Mew Orleans." While [[ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans Its Always Mardi Gras In Mew Orleans]] shows up (the visiting Zoo Crew, looking for Alley, run into Mew Orleans' Mardi Gras parade), the other tropes are largely unused (aside from Alley's interest in the occult).* ValiantComics ''Shadowman'' features a hero from New Orleans, and shades of voodoo as well.* ''Comicbook/SwampThing'' is based on the Louisiana swamps and [[Film/SwampThing the films]] are based on there too.* The 2008 [[AntiAntiChrist Daimon Hellstrom]] miniseries is based in New Orleans and occasionally talks about the city's post-Katrina efforts, but the series makes almost no use of the setting's usual relationship with the supernatural (the villains were the Egyptian gods, of all things).* The fourth ''{{Blacksad}}'' album is set here.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film]]* ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' (Half the action in the movie, approximately, takes place in New Orleans, the other half in Haiti.)* The film ''Film/AngelHeart'' manages to work in Mardi Gras, Voodoo, a hard boiled detective AND [[spoiler:the ''Devil.'']] a regular spicy gumbo!* The movie ''Film/UndercoverBlues'' has a married pair of spies on vacation in a version of New Orleans that fits this trope to a T. Of course, their vacation doesn't last long, leading to all the exciting action and chase scene possibilities that Hollywood New Orleans offers.* The eponymous locale of ''The Big Easy'' is depicted as sex, dangerous, atmospheric, and populated mainly by wiseguys (Mafiosi) and Cajuns -- even though the Cajuns are traditionally farming people of rural South Louisiana. New Orleans' native Creoles are a different ethnic group entirely.* Disney's ''ThePrincessAndTheFrog'' takes place here during TheRoaringTwenties.* Largely averted when {{Wolverine}} heads here in ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' to find Gambit who, surprisingly, is toned down a lot from his comic persona.* ''Film/TheCuriousCaseOfBenjaminButton'' (film only: the short story is set in Baltimore), though the portrayal is far from stereotypical.* ''Film/SonOfDracula'' is set around here. Main villain even hides in the swamps.* The beginning and end of ''Last Holiday'' starring Music/QueenLatifah both take place in a pre-Katrina New Orleans. The movie mostly subverts this trope as it shows New Orleans as it really looks on any given day, even with the street car shots. The one stereotype used is that Georgia, the main character, is a great cook who has aspirations of owning a restaurant. [[ThePrincessAndTheFrog Disney]] must have been inspired.* 1939 version of ''TheCatAndTheCanary'' moves the West mansion into Louisiana bayou.* ''The Cincinnati Kid'' is set in '30s New Orleans.* Creator/JohnWoo's first Hollywood movie, ''Film/HardTarget'' (starring Creator/JeanClaudeVanDamme) takes place in New Orleans.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* The book ''Zombie Queen'' by Donald Whittington takes place in the haunted, zombie version of New Orleans.* Genua, a small city-state in Literature/{{Discworld}} is based upon New Orleans, again featuring a mix of Mardi Gras and zombies.* Robert Asprin's fantasy novel ''Dragons Wild'', depicts the life of regular residents of the French Quarter, which is where Asprin lived in real life. Oddly, while 9/11 is mentioned several times, there is no mention whatsoever of Katrina. Following Asprin's sudden death, whether the hurricane was going to happen "later" in a sequel, or he was engaging in a bit of wish fulfillment may never be known.** The second book was going to deal with Katrina. Long story short, dragons fighting each other directly tends to have an effect much like ''Franchise/{{Highlander}}'' Immortals killing one another on sacred ground.*** The second book in the series has been published posthumously; again no mention of Katrina, but with the action building clearly towards some variety of all-out dragon-on-dragon fight. Likely Katrina would have arrived sooner or later.* Sherilyn Kenyon's ''Literature/TheDarkHunters'' series of romance novels is set almost entirely in New Orleans and environs, and fills the city with vampires, vampire hunters, gods, shapeshifters, demons, and other supernatural beings that manage somehow to remain an urban myth despite seemingly outnumbering the human population two to one.** And dating a few of the wackier human natives to boot.* Poppy Z. Brite, a New Orleans native, also sets most (but not all) of the action of his novels there. In ''Lost Souls'' there's no less than seven vampires (albeit several are fairly minor characters) and a creepy voodoo shop ran by a guy obsessed with his dead brother.* ''AConfederacyOfDunces'': The protagonist considers New Orleans the center of the world and is horrified of the thought of moving as far as Baton Rouge.* DeanKoontz's ''Frankenstein'' trilogy is set here. For some reason, the final book was delayed for years after Katrina, leading readers to expect monsters to attack amidst a [[TooSoon city-wrecking hurricane]]. It didn't happen.* Andrew Fox, also a New Orleans native, wrote two vampire books set in New Orleans: ''Fat White Vampire Blues'' and ''Bride of the Fat White Vampire''. Although he averts most of the stereotypes and gives a fairly accurate depiction of the city, it's still about vampires and how the city is secretly controlled by them. Of course, it's also a parody. In fact, in the first novel, The Big Bad and his crew have their HQ [[spoiler: beneath Harrah's Casino in downtown New Orleans]]. The series has also been called a cross between ''InterviewWithTheVampire'' and ''A Confederacy of Dunces''. Although, Jules Duchon is far more likable than [[AConfederacyOfDunces Ignatious J. Riley]].* In ''WildCards'', when the committee goes to New Orleans to help evacuate and strengthen the dikes before a hurricane, they come across a local ace whose power is to animate zombies.* Mark Kelly, from the first part of ''[[Literature/SpecialCircumstances Princess of Wands]]'', works in the New Orleans Police Department, with a few scenes in the city, and much of the rest of the segment out in the swamp areas in the vicinity.* Arthur Hailey's ''Hotel'' is set in New Orleans, as is the 1967 film version. AaronSpelling's 1980s TV version moves the locale to SanFrancisco, however.* The setting for Percy Walker's Literature/TheMoviegoer. [[TropesAreNotGood Not that he likes it very much]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live-Action TV]]* A post-Katrina example: ''Series/{{Heroes}}'' had an entire sub-arc set in a New Orleans filled with poverty and related misfortunes.** Indeed, there was even going to be a subplot involving Season 3 villain Knox Washington, returning from prison to take power in New Orleans. However, the Writer's Strike derailed all of Season 2; nearly all characters involved with this plot were written out, and Knox was shafted to Mook for Season 3 BigBad [[spoiler: Arthur Petrelli]].** In either another example of research failure, when Monica Dawson is introduced in Season 2, she mentions that she lives in a "county." Louisiana is the only state in the United States that's divided into ''parishes'' rather than counties. [[FridgeBrilliance Although not many people outside of Louisiana would actually know this, and having to explain it would get tiresome pretty quickly.]]* ''{{Bones}}'' had another post-Katrina example-Brennan was down identifying victims of the flood and gets tangled up in the grisly voodoo underworld.* The Villalobos pit bull rescue featured in the AnimalPlanet series ''PitbullsAndParolees'' moved to New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward from their original location near Los Angeles, California. The welcome they received upon arriving there was a CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming.* Several episodes of ''Series/CallOfTheWildman'' have taken place in New Orleans, with Ernie 'Turtleman' Brown, Jr. helping to capture nuisance animals in the suburbs and the nearby bayous.* Abby Sciuto from ''{{NCIS}}'' hails from New Orleans and points out in the third season opener that the jazz music occurs ''after'' the burial.* The short-lived FOX cop drama ''K-Ville'' dealt with two police officers trying to keep the peace in post-Katrina New Orleans, when a good chunk of the police force had left with the rest of the refugees.** The show quickly quickly became notorious for its inaccuracies, especially a mention of "gumbo parties" in the first episode. This was referenced in ''Series/{{Treme}}'', where a tourist asks about gumbo parties during Mardi Gras and is told "We don't call them that."* The HBO series ''Series/{{Treme}}'' ([[ItsPronouncedTroPay "Tre-may"]]) lampshades this trope constantly. The show takes place largely in the Treme, a specific part of New Orleans, and frequently ridicules this trope and the lopsided media attention certain sectors of New Orleans received just after Katrina.* There was a '90s detective series titled ''The Big Easy''.** And one in the '60s called ''Bourbon Street Beat''.* ''[[TheHardyBoys The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries]]'' episode ''Voodoo Doll' runs rampant with this trope. The brothers visit New Orleans during [[ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans Mardi Gras]] and run afoul of a [[HollywoodVoodoo Voodoo Priest, complete with Voodoo Tarot Cards and ritual dancing in the middle of the nearby swamp]].* Minor character [[MrFanservice Detective Will LaMontagne]] from ''CriminalMinds'' is from New Orleans and in "Jones", there were mentions of [[ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans Mardi Gras]] and Hurricane Katrina that took Will's father's life.* The '80s dramedy ''Frank's Place'' was set in New Orleans.* While ''TrueBlood'' is based in northern Louisiana outside Shreveport, the story goes to New Orleans on occasion, and the Vampire Authority is based there. [[TheSookieStackhouseMysteries The books]] even factored [[RealLifeWritesThePlot Hurricane Katrina]] into the storylines.* Series/AmericanHorrorStoryCoven, with a focus on the city's history of voodoo and [[SerialKiller serial killers]]. * {{The Vampire Diaries}} spin-off {{The Originals}} primarily focuses on a New Orleans run by three factions: humans, vampires, and witches.* "SaturdayNightLive" has a sublimely ridiculous recurring sketch called "Maine Justice," a small-claims dispute courtroom reality show that ostensibly takes place in Maine -- except everyone acts and talks in a ridiculously exaggerated Nawlins manner, leaving the [[OnlySaneMan defendant]] completely bewildered. By the end, they admit that they relocated after Katrina but are reluctant to give up their old ways.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games]]* ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'', no doubt inspired by Anne Rice, has a book dedicated to New Orleans as a vampire-focused horror setting. It has a rather unintentionally comic section talking about New Orleans' extensive subway system (which is practically infeasible due to the city's notoriously unstable soil).** The remake of this book for the ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness'' avoids this, thankfully. However, since it was written before Katrina hit, it describes New Orleans as it was before the hurricane came through. A sidebar describes how an impending city-destroying hurricane strike might be included in the plot. This may seem like a FunnyAneurysmMoment, but it had been common knowledge that the city was hideously vulnerable to a powerful hurricane years before Katrina hit.* There is a ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu'' scenario "Dead Man Stomp" set in a horror version of New Orleans, in which a young trumpet player gets a trumpet cursed with voodoo that can raise the dead.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]* DisneyThemeParks seems to love the Big Easy:** Disneyland features New Orleans Square which is home to two of the park's most famous attractions, Ride/PiratesOfTheCaribbean and Franchise/TheHauntedMansion.** Disney World has two Big Easy-themed hotels: Port Orleans French Quarter (themed after New Orleans) and Port Orleans Riverside (themed after the rural plantations around New Orleans).** Tokyo Disneyland features a New Orleans street in its Adventureland, home to (appropriately) their version of Pirates of the Caribbean.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Videogames]]* ''[[VideoGame/GabrielKnight Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers]]''. The whole game is set in Gabe's hometown, most of the stages of the game are in different parts of the city featuring New Orleans StockCharacters like the [[FatSweatySouthernerInAWhiteSuit Sweaty Detective]] and the [[CloudCuckoolander elderly Creole lady]], beignets are a PlotCoupon, and [[HollywoodVoodoo voodoo]] factors heavily [[NightmareFuel into the plot]].* ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' featured a New Orleans stage that takes place during a voodoo invasion at Mardi Gras.* ''Hitman: Blood Money'' had 47 had the protagonist prevent an assassination of a politician during Mardi Gras.* ''ShadowMan: 2econd Coming'' features a New Orleans that consists of about four square blocks of the French Quarter surrounded by eerie swamplands.* ''Franchise/JamesBond 007: VideoGame/EverythingOrNothing'' had Bond visiting New Orleans, complete with Bourbon Street, mausoleums, the bayou, and a mission where he must prevent the BigBad from destroying the city's levees with {{nanomachines}}. [[FunnyAneurysmMoment Yes, it did come out before Katrina]]... why do you ask?* The final chapter of ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' is set here. In fact, the whole point of the game before this point was trying to get to New Orleans, signaled as the only safe city in the CEDA materials that are seen in the hotel at Savannah.* ''EpicMickey'' has the sub level Bog Easy, referring to the Haunted Mansion's location in New Orleans Square in Disneyland.* ''[[NancyDrew Legend of the Crystal Skull]]'' is a post-Katrina example, although it references the storm only obliquely and doesn't show enough of the city to reveal any changes.* ''[[VideoGame/InFamous2 inFamous 2]]'''s intro takes place in a counterpart to New York City called Empire City, but the main bulk of the game takes place in New Marais, which is [[BlatantLies clearly not]] in any way New Orleans!* ''VideoGame/LauraBow'' has the first game in the series, The Colonel's Bequest, take place in an old New Orleans mansion out in the swamps. It's portrayed as hard to reach, needing a swamp boat to get too, but it also includes a voodoo woman named Celie.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* ''ScoobyDooOnZombieIsland'' has the gang from Mysteries, Inc. going to New Orleans, and running into, you guessed it, zombies.** They go back later on in an episode of the [[WhatsNewScoobyDoo 2002 series]], this time running into ''ghosts'' (of two soldiers from the Civil War).* Parodied in ''The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase,'' where Chief Wiggum moves to New Orleans and is visited by the Simpsons. "Chief Wiggum, I can't wait to hear about all the exciting, sexy adventures you're sure to have against this colorful backdrop," Lisa {{lampshades}}.** Also, so-called "New Orleans Native" Skinner doesn't even know it's Mardi Gras until somebody opens up a window and there's a massive float passing by.** Don't forget "Oh, Streetcar!", a musical version of "A Streetcar Named Desire" that Marge stars in, with its song so catchy, offensive, and ''accurate'' that it could easily serve as the page quote if we didn't have three already.* [[TheMillstone Bill Dauterive]] in KingOfTheHill turns out to be related to a very wealthy cajun family of semi-aristocrats living in a decaying mansion in the middle of a louisiana swamp. Happily, the scenes actually in New Orleans are completely free of this trope.** Although Dale is happy to reference the trope.--->''Dale:'' I've always wanted to eat fried dough in the most corrupt city on Earth!* An episode of CaptainPlanet took place in New Orleans and featured voodoo priestesses, debauchery on Bourbon Street and bayou people living in the swamp (which is interestingly a stone's throw away from the French Quarter).* Episode 12 of ''TheAmazingChanAndTheChanClan'' displayed this trope, right down to the Mardi Gras celebration.[[/folder]]